Field
The present invention relates to display technology, and more particularly to liquid crystal displays.
Discussion
Liquid crystal displays are a type of flat panel display that generally include two display panels on which one or more field generating electrodes, such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode, are formed. A liquid crystal layer is typically disposed between the two display panels. Conventional liquid crystal displays present images by applying a voltage to one or more field generating electrodes to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer and, thereby, control one or more directions of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer, as well as one or more aspects of light radiating therethrough. For instance, a liquid crystal display may control the polarization of incident light via control of the liquid crystal layer.
In a vertically aligned (VA) mode liquid crystal display, the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are homeotropically orientated, i.e., the respective longitudinal axes of the liquid crystal molecules are aligned perpendicular to the display panels, when no electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer. To enhance light viewing angles, cutouts, such as micro-slits, and protrusions may be formed in one or more of the field generating electrodes. Cutouts and protrusions affect the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules, such that a viewing angle may be broadened based on the disposition of the cutouts and protrusions, which can be utilized to disperse the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules in various directions. Typically when a plurality of branch electrodes are utilized and include a plurality of micro-slits on a pixel electrode, the cutout ratio is made lower than it would be in a standard non-branch electrode application.
Furthermore, when a plurality of domains is utilized in the liquid crystal layer to vary the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules with respect to different portions of the liquid crystal layer, display quality at (or near) the edge portions of the pixel electrode may be deteriorated. It is also noted that the utilization of a plurality of domains in the liquid crystal layer to vary the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules with respect to different portions of the layer may deteriorate display quality between domains, e.g., in the domain interfaces.
Meanwhile, liquid crystal displays may be driven such that data voltage of the same polarity may be applied in a pixel column direction. In such instances, when a storage capacitance is to be charged in each pixel column, display quality may be deteriorated due to coupling effects between a voltage applied to a date line and a voltage applied to a common electrode. Typically, these coupling effects may be prevented (or at least reduced) via utilization of one or more shielding electrodes that are applied with the same voltage applied to the common electrode. Utilization of shielding electrode(s), however, may decrease the luminance of liquid crystal displays. Further, a short-circuit may occur between the shielding electrode and the data line, which may decrease liquid crystal display yield.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach that provides reliable, cost effective techniques to reduce the aperture ratio of a liquid crystal display, while also maintaining wide-viewing angles, quick response times, and high display quality.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore, it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.